Animated sign



G. R. PYPER.

ANIMATE-D SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. |920.

PatentedJ une 21, 1921.

Zia-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lGIOIEtG-E R. PYPER, OFY SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, .t'rSSIGlTORY TO PYIR ANIMATED SIGN COMPANY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,

A CORPORATION OF UTILI-I.

ANIMATED SIGN.

Patented J une 21, 1921.

Original application filedv March 12, 1920, Serial No. 365,358. Divided and this application filed September 27, 1920. Serial No. 413,177.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known'that I, GEORGE R. FYPER, a citizen of the-United States, and a resident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented cern tain new and useful Improvements in Animated Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention is concerned with animated signs employing a novel method by which I impart the appearance of animation to portions thereof. To carry out my invention, I employ a stationary projection surface upon which the animated portion moves, which projection. surface is preferably formed of aV sheet of opaque or translucent substance uponv which a sign or an object may be painted and the portion upon which the movement occurs is preferably provided with numerous comparatively small perforaticns or .substantially transparent vportions through which the light from theinterior illumination passes, together with a plate or member upon which the animated portion is stenciled and which must be suitably moved and a suitable source of illumination back of the stencil lplate to throw the light through the moving stencil on the projection surface.

It is further concerned with a sign containingl these necessary elements and means for moving the stencil plate, as well as that certain novel combination of mechanisms by which the necessary elements may be properly grouped and operated.

My present application is in effect a division of my application No. 365,358, filed March 12, 1920, the illustration being the same as sheet 1 of the aforesaid application.

To illustrate my present invention, I annex hereto a sheet of drawings in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures of which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sign embodying my invention with the major portion of the front wall of the sign receptacle or casing broken away more clearly to disclose the operating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the sign receptacle or casing with the operating mechanism shown in plan;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig.y 1; and

openings or perforations 12 therein` which are arranged in the arc of a circle: If the rising of the moon is a part of the landscape eiect,all the details desired may be depicted on the front of the plate 11- by painting or otherwise, care being taken not to close the perforations 11 but to leave them translu! cent. As the moon is seen rising. in the sky, the space betweeny the perforations will of course he painted or depicted as representing the sky.

Located within the casing is a lever 18 which is fulcrumed at 14. upon the standard 15. One end of this lever 13 carries a lamp, holder in the form of a small casing 16 which` is provided with an opening 17 in the` front face thereof. As this is intended to represent the rising of a full moon, this opening is a circle. Arranged within the casing 16, directly to the back of the opening, is a source of light 18, preferablya high power incandescent light, the rays of which project through theopening 17. The apparent diameter of this moon will be dependent upon the distance of the filament of light 18 from the aperture 17 and of the aperture from the rear of the casing 11. The arm 13 is so mounted that the source of light will travel behind the projection surface 11 in the arc occupied by the perforations 12, which are preferably covered by a sheet 85 of some translucent material, such as thin cloth or paper, secured on the back disk 23 which is connected by the belt 24 with the small grooved pulley 25 secured on the shaft 26 journaled in the upper end of the standard 27 secured in the casing The shaft 26 has secured thereon the large grooved wheel or pulley 28 which is connected by the belt 29 with the small grooved pulley 30 on the armature shaft of an electric motor 31 supported in the bottom of the casing. rlhe rapid rotation of the armature shaft of the motor is thus geared down to a comparatively slow rotation of the shaft 22 so that the lever 30 is given a comparatively slow swinging movement.

The lamp 18 is connected in a circuit 32, whichV is indicated diagranimatically as energized by the battery 33, although it will of course be obvious that the current might be derived from any other suitable source, and'that some other form of motor and reducing gearing, may be substituted for the electric motor and the reducing gearing shown. Also inclosed in the circuit 32 is a circuit breaker carried by the shaft 22 and which comprises rotary contact elements 34 and 35 which are connected by a conductor bar 3d These elements 34 and 35 Vare engaged by the brushes 37 and these elements are so arranged that as the lever13 is traveling upward, the lamp 18 will be lighted, and when it reaches its limit of upward c movement, the circuit will be automatically i invention in which the necessary part o Y naled in be again completed until broken andwill not the reverse or last position of the lever isV reached. v

1n Fig. 4, I have illustrated a form ofi tlple t e front wall or projection plate 38 of the casing is provided with perforations 39 covered on the rear by the translucent sheet 85, as before. Fulcrumed at 42 on a standard withinthe casing at the rear of the front wall or projection plate is a member 40, which is preferably formed of sheet metal and which is cut to form a stencil of some figure or object, the one shown in the drawings representing a rocking chair 41. y This member has connected to one end thereof the pitman rod 43 which is pivoted at its other end on an eccentric pin 44 carried by the disk 45 secured on the shaft 46 joura suitable bearing at the top of a standard on the AHoor of the casing. The shaft 46 has secured on its other end a large pulley wheel 47 which is connected by the belt` 48 with the small pulley 49 secured on the same shaft as the large pulley .50, which Vshaft is likewise journaled in the standard supported on the bottom of the casing. Belt 51 connects the large pulley 50 with the armature shaft of a motor 52 suitably mounted in the casing. ing shown will cause a slow swinging movement of the member 40, and thus produce the appearance of a chair rocking over that The reducing gearp portion of the projection plate 38 having the perforations 39 thereinL 1f the casing is deep, the light 53 may be stationary and located at the rear of the casing at about the middle of the member 40, as shown in Fig.

V4. Or the light 53 might be supported from the member 40, so as to swing therewith, the stencil 41 in that case corresponding` in its action directlyto that ofthe aperture 17 in the other form of the invention illustrated.

`While 1 have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which 1 at present consider bestadapted to carry out its purposes,r it will be understood that it is capable of modifcations,'and that 1 do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What 1 claimV as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an animated sign, the combination with a stationary screen plate havinga portion thereofcontaining small, closely spaced perforations therein, of a stencil member mounted to move back of the perforations and having the animated object stenciled therein, means for moving the stencil member, and a light back of the stencil member so that the rays therefrom pass through the stencil and form a moving object outlined on the field of perforations through succesf with a stationary screen plate having a portion thereof containing small closely spaced pcrforaticns therein, of a stencil member mounted to move back of the perforationsl and having'the animated object. stenciled therein, means'for moving the stencil mem.- 1 er, and a light carried back of and with the stencil member so that the rays there from pass vthrough the stencil and form a moving object outlinedon vthe field of perforations 'through successive groups of which the outlined object is visible as it appears to move.

3. 1nl an `animated sign, the combination with a stationary screen plate having a por-4 tion thereof containing small closely spaced perforations therein, of a stencil member o fulcrumed to move back of and having vthe animated Aobject stenciled herein, a 'pitma-n rod connected to the stencil member, a shaft having an eccentric .pin to which the other end .of the pitman is connected, an electric motor, and reduction gearing from said motor to said shaft.

1n witness whereof, IV have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this 11th day of June, A. 1920. Y

GEORGE n. rrrnn. [1.. yai' Witness: A c JOHN HowAiin MQELROY,

the perforations Y 

